Nigerian Farmer Faces Execution for Killing Herdsman in Self-Defense…Police Rescue 2 Catholic Priests Kidnapped by Church Altar Server…Police Arrest Suspects in Murder of Army General…and others
- Christian Farmer Sentenced to Death for Resisting Fulani Herdsman’s Attack
The Nigerian Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Sunday Jackson, a farmer from Adamawa State, who killed a Fulani herdsman in an act he claims was self-defense.
Jackson, a Christian, was attacked on his farm by a herdsman armed with a knife. Despite suffering injuries, he fought back and killed his attacker. Arrested in 2014, he spent seven years in detention before being convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2021. The trial judge suggested he should have fled despite his injuries.
His appeal argued that his right to self-defense was ignored and that the court took too long to deliver its ruling. However, the Supreme Court rejected his case.
Already, this ruling has sparked nationwide outrage, with critics calling it a miscarriage of justice and urging Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State to grant clemency.
- Betrayal in the Church: Altar Servant Kidnaps Priests for $13,500 Ransom
Police in Nigeria’s Adamawa State have arrested 34-year-old altar servant Taledo Demiel for kidnapping two Catholic priests and demanding a ₦10 million ransom (about $13,500).
The priests, Reverend Fathers Matthew David Dusami and Abraham Samman, were abducted two weeks ago from a convent in Gwaida Malam village. Demiel reportedly locked them in his house while negotiating their release.
He was arrested while attempting to collect the ransom but fled upon noticing security operatives. Police later identified his abandoned motorcycle, traced it to his home, and rescued the priests.
“Security operatives forced open his house and found the two priests locked in a room,” a police source told SaharaReporters. Demiel remains in custody, and officials have vowed to ensure justice is served.
- Teen, Accomplice Arrested for Assassinating Nigerian Army General
Nigerian police have arrested two suspects linked to the murder of Brigadier General Uwen Harold Udokwere, who was shot dead at his home in Lokogoma, Abuja, on June 22, 2024.
Authorities identified the suspects as Alkasim Mohammed, 18, and Suleiman Abdullahi, 22. They were apprehended in Durumi Phase 2, approximately 12 miles from Lokogoma, police sources told Zagazola Makama.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of a notorious gang responsible for multiple high-profile crimes in the FCT,” the sources said.
Police are pursuing other gang members as the suspects remain in custody pending prosecution.
- Security Forces Kill Leader of Lakurawa Terrorist Group
Security forces in Nigeria’s Kebbi State have killed Maigemu, the notorious leader of the Lakurawa terrorist group, officials said Friday.
Lakurawa is a terrorist group operating in Nigeria’s Northwest region, particularly in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. The group is known for brutal attacks on rural communities, mass kidnappings for ransom, and extortion of local residents.
AbdulRahman Usman Zagga, the Director of Security in Kebbi, said Maigemu was killed Thursday in Kuncin Baba village in Arewa County after a fierce gunfight. “His corpse is available as evidence,” Zagga said, as reported by Daily Trust.
The operation took place a week after Governor Nasir Idris visited communities where the group had recently killed six people.
- Zamfara Bandits Relocate to Kwara Amid Military Crackdown
Armed bandits operating in Zamfara State’s Bukuyum County have moved to Bani town in Kwara State as security forces and local vigilantes intensify operations against the groups, a captured insurgent revealed.
Intelligence sources told Lake Chad security analyst Zagazola Makama that the suspect, apprehended in Kyaram community, provided critical details on the group’s movements and losses.
“Many of their fighters have either been neutralized (i.e. killed) or fled due to increased pressure from local vigilantes and security forces. However, their key leaders and remaining fighters have moved to Bani town in Kwara State, leaving behind a weakened structure in Bukuyum,” the insurgent reportedly confessed during interrogation.
Bukuyum is a hotspot of banditry in Zamfara. The shift in location comes as the bandits suffer heavy losses due to the Nigerian armed forces’ increased counterterror operations. Bani, a remote farming town, is about 230 miles from Bukuyum, and the regrouping in the new location poses a new security threat in Kwara and Nigeria’s Middle Belt region as a whole.
Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
